Do You Know How Delmar Got Its Name?

Honestly, I never really thought about it. I’m from Schenectady so it’s common knowledge that we’re the “Place Beyond the Pines,” I mean there’s even a movie. Delmar though, I had no idea, do you?

If you do know, you may want to reach out to the Bethlehem Town Historian because apparently, it’s still a huge mystery! Delmar was established because of a railroad and until 1885, that railroad stop wasn’t named “Delmar,” it was “Adamsville.” All of a sudden, it seems, the name was changed to Delmar in 1886. According to the Times Union, “the best-known theory was that the Adamsville name (the name Adams Station was also used) caused confusion with another similarly named railroad stop in the village of Adams in Jefferson County.”

But why Delmar?

The theory that seems most plausible is that it seemed to be a pretty common name. It was a mix of Delaware and Maryland for a town near the border. It could also have to do with the popularity of Del Mar. It’s just so strange and fascinating to me that in all of the history books, there is no mention of how our Delmar got its name.